Town of Ulster Supervisor James Quigley III (Photo: Phyllis McCabe)
“If DEC felt that the Town of Ulster did not have the capacity to serve as lead agency,” said Quigley, “they would have exercised that right when we notified them of our intent.”
Quigley also said that he would not recommend inviting the City of Kingston on board as an “involved party” in the SEQRA review. Involved parties can submit findings and make recommendations during the process. But under Kingston’s City Charter, the water department holds the exclusive right to make decisions regarding the sale of “surplus water.” The department is administered by a board of commissioners appointed by the mayor, who also serves as a voting member. The arrangement dates to the water department’s formation in 1895 and was intended to keep administration of a vital public resource free of political interference.
Members of the Common Council say it’s unfair for elected representatives to be left out of a process that could have a major impact on constituents and have been pushing to become an “involved agency.” But Quigley said he based his determination to exclude the Common Council on a legal opinion drafted by Kingston’s own corporation counsel, Andrew Zweben. Zweben’s opinion cited the City Charter and SEQR law in arguing that the city doesn’t merit “involved agency” status.
“Every agency that has a discretionary decision to make on this project has been notified and consented [to the Ulster Town Board serving as lead agency],” said Quigley. “The City of Kingston does not meet that definition.”
I think Quigley is an arrogant ass who shows nothing but contempt for the environment and the towns of Kingston and Woodstock. 100 low-paying jobs pale in comparison to the threat that it represents to our future water supply.
Frogs on the moon, indeed.
DEC is nothing but a cowardly lion and will be viewed with disdain and contempt for generations to come if this process comes to fruition.
I agree with your assessment!
I hope SAUGERTIES folks are paying attention to this. What will be the impact of discharge at the factory site on the Esopus Creek. Will there be sufficient protection in place in place to pollutant out of the creek? What restrictions will be placed on discharges? How will it be monitored? Will it impact fishing, aquatic and bird life on the Esopus? Niagara doesn’t have a great track record of obeying the rules at bottling plants out west. How will that effect Saugerties tourism $$ and propery values if the creek is polluted with plastics.
Kingston, Woodstock, Saugerties, Ulster, Esopus, the Hudson Valley,New York City, New York State… Keep your eyes open. New York is Water Rich… And Big Water has their eye on us. The Town of Ulster is already setting themselves up to push the plastic manufacturing plant into Tech City regardless of the decision to use Cooper Lake/Kingston’s water. The segmented action submitted to the DEC did not include mention of Kingston or Woodstock’s water. This tells me that they must be thinking of all of the possibilities. We have to be wide scope enough to see out of our own back yards, and into the minds of decisive and slippery politicians guides by Big Corporate interest.
This is what I had to say to Mr Quigley this evening at the Town Of Ulster Board meeting this evening:
First, I’d like to thank you for cutting to the chase and including the POS Dec in your declaration this evening.
There is no point in wasting any time on that.
As someone who lives in Woodstock; the town with the least to gain and the most to lose, standing beside the Aldermen and women of Kingston who have also requested to be granted involved agency status, I ask you to consider both municipalities as involved agencies in your declaration tonite.
I want to point out a few things.
Today while you were discussing the leaks in the system, on the Kingston public radio, you said something that was very alarming, and I quote:
“It’s like going to your garbage can and selling what’s in there”
And I disagree. Vehemently.
You have publically mocked informed citizens– who have asked you to follow the rule of law–in inappropriate and inconsiderate ways.
Your dismissal of our concerns is very disconcerting.
If you really Consider the water that quenches our municipalities to be garbage, that you can sell as a way to fix an ailing infrastructure, then I’m not sure that you, Mr Quigley and the Town of Ulster are the right municipality to be handling the SEQR process as lead agent.
I want to point out that I am not a Woodstocker just fighting for my lake. I am a Hudson valley citizen concerned about the sustainability of our region.
Economic development of Ulster
HAS to be considered with an eye on sustainability.
And as you said this morning on the radio, it is likely that Niagara will not have the patience to sit through The length of time it takes to process a thorough and honest SEQR process, which includes a public scoping process.
And why would they? They thought we were an easy target.
We are not.
This proposal never should have made it this far.
And as it has been made very clear by the citizens of the concerned and interested Municipalities–our water is not in play.
But, because we all know you have a job to fill Tech City–and I read your incomplete application to the DEC– I need to say now, as we go forward, regardless of whether niagara gets their water from cooper lake, I am not comfortable with a plastic manufacturing plant in Tech City or anywhere else in the region.
And I ask that you turn toward responsible and ecologically concerned businesses in your search to fill Tech City.